Kleven completes record AHTS contract for Siem Offshoreå

Kleven Maritime has delivered the AHTS Siem Amethyst to Siem Offshore. The delivery completes the largest offshore service vessel contract in Norwegian shipbuilding history. This vessel is the tenth and last in a series of large anchor handling vessels delivered from Kleven Maritime to Siem Offshore Inc. Thus far. Kleven Maritime has delivered 15 offshore support vessels to Siem Offshore.

The record breaking contract was signed in October 2006 and was initially for six vessels, with options for a further six. In all, 10 vessels were contracted after options were declared during 2007. The contract value totaled out at around NOK 6 billion.

Kleven Maritime today has five vessels under construction, and an order backlog of 9 vessels amounting to NOK 4 billion. CEO Ståle Rasmussen of Kleven Maritime, Norway's largest Norwegian owned shipbuilding group has invited all its employees to the Fjord resort of Geiranger for celebrations.

"Our employees made a tremendous effort when markets were down a few years back. Now markets have improved, so in our thinking it is only fair that employees get to share in the record strong performance our company is seeing. To show our gratitude we have invited all employees to Geiranger to celebrate. We will also present the vessel to the local community in an open-day function, in addition to a substantial bonus to all workers," says Mr. Rasmussen.

He says that the historic contract with Siem Offshore has had a large impact on the whole maritime industry in the area and beyond. Kleven Maritime has used the series of vessels as a vehicle for enhancing its building methods. New technology is being utilized using robots to replace manual labor. The target is to develop building methods tailormade to the group's facilities ensuring increased control, better performance and shorter lead time.

"Being the yard group that build the most locally in Norway, automated processes involving robots and manufacturing innovation is imperative in order to keep our cost base low," states Mr. Rasmussen